open syllable
- noun
- /ˈoʊpən ˈsɪləbəl/
- Specialized
:
sílaba abierta
- In phonetics, an open syllable is typically followed by a long vowel sound.
Examples
-
Before this age, children have a preference for open syllables, and so they will often delete singleton consonants and consonant clusters in word-final position.
Academic text (2015) -
The word 'go' is an example of an open syllable because it ends in a vowel.
-
The syllable 'me' is classified as an open syllable because it concludes with a vowel.
How Open
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a syllable that ends with a vowel' is directly inferable by combining 'open' (not closed, having an opening) with 'syllable' (a basic sound unit): an 'open syllable' is simply a syllable that is open at the end, i.e., ends in a vowel or diphthong. This compositional, adjectival pattern is cross-linguistically common (e.g., Spanish 'sílaba abierta') and follows standard English noun modification, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to derive the meaning.
Etymology
Open syllable comes from the simple image of a syllable that is open because it ends with a vowel sound, not a consonant. This 'open' ending lets the vowel stay 'long', so an open syllable usually has a 'long vowel sound'.
